In the increasingly popular sport of golf, putting the ball into the hole is one of the most difficult aspects of the game. Indeed, to hone one's putting skills, a player must typically practice for many hours on a putting green. One effective approach to practicing the art of putting is to mark a clearly visible line around the circumference of a golf ball. A circumferential line around a golf ball is useful in two regards. First, a circumferential line helps the player to align the putt toward the hole. Second, the circumferential line also helps the player to observe any spin or bounce on the ball that results from a poor stroke. Furthermore, golfers sometimes will want to inscribe an arc or a cross (consisting of intersecting arcs) on a golf ball for a full stroke for a longer shot than a putt.
Since it is nearly impossible to circumscribe a perfectly circular line around a golf ball, or to inscribe a perfect cross, using only a marker or pen, golf enthusiasts and accessory designers have devised a variety of devices and apparatuses for marking or circumscribing a line around the circumference of a golf ball.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,971 which issued on Dec. 4, 2001 to Urban entitled GOLF BALL MARKING DEVICE AND GOLF PUTTING ALIGNMENT SYSTEM, the golf ball is rested atop a cup-like holder (with an optional support peg) and a line is inscribed around the circumference of the ball. To mark the ball, the player must hold the ball and the holder with one hand while marking the ball with a marker in his other hand. However, circumscribing the entire circumference of the ball in one continuous line is very awkward and therefore the player must turn the ball and holder to continue the line around the ball.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,807 which issued on Sep. 24, 2002 to Ramey entitled GOLF BALL MARKING TOOL, the golf ball is held in a cup-like holder at one of various depths permitting circular lines of various diameters to be inscribed. Like the Urban device, the downside of this Ramey device is that a continuous circumscribing of the ball (in one movement) is very awkward, if not impossible.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,544 which issued on Jan. 13, 2004 to Tyke entitled GOLF BALL MARKING GUIDE, the golf ball is held within a pivoting clamp with an arced groove therein for inscribing a line onto the golf ball. However, since the groove subtends an arc less than less 180 degrees, the device must be reclamped at least twice to permit the player to complete a fully circumscribed line.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,587 which issued on Apr. 17, 2001 to Foley entitled GOLF BALL MARKING DEVICE, the golf ball is frictionally restrained within a resiliently deformable retention cavity that bends around the outside of the ball. A marker can be inserted through a groove in the retention cavity for marking a line on the ball. However, as was the case with the Tyke device, the arc of the groove is limited, thus requiring the player to release the ball, to relocate it and to secure the ball anew.
Also known in the industry is a ball marker clip sold under the trademark Line M Up. This concave plastic device clips onto the ball and has an arced groove for marking the ball. However, to mark a complete line around the circumference, the ball must be removed and replaced three times.
Finally, there is also a ball sweet spot finder sold under the trademark Check-GO. This battery-powered device has an electric motor for rotating the ball. The device has a side access port permitting a user to manually hold a marker pen against the rotating ball. However, because of its electric motor, gears, and its need for batteries, this device is unnecessarily expensive, bulky and heavy and is not amenable to being carried around in a golf bag. Furthermore, to operate the device properly, a flat surface is required, which is not always readily available at a putting green or on a golf course.
Therefore, the prior art fails to provide a purely mechanical device that would enable a user, without holding the marker, to inscribe an arc, a cross or a continuous line around the circumference of a golf ball. Such a device would therefore be highly desirable.